Second-year wide receiver takes on bigger role with injuries at split end

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Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after he ran in for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, left, scores a touchdown after making a catch as Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Jahleel Addae, upper right, and defensive back Casey Hayward defend during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammate Kendrick Bourne #84 after crossing the goal line for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammate Kendrick Bourne #84 after crossing the goal line for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammate Kendrick Bourne #84 after crossing the goal line for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

Marquise Goodwin #11 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammate Kendrick Bourne #84 after crossing the goal line for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne (84) celebrates his touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne (84) scores a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, right, celebrates after a reception as Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Kyle Emanuel stands by during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)

San Francisco 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne (84) and Dallas Cowboys’ Marquez White (39) jump up for a ball in the endzone in the third quarter of their preseason NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)

SANTA CLARA — Kendrick Bourne has led the 49ers in at least one category since arriving last year: social-media selfies on Instagram.

Now he’s doing more than posing for pictures in his car or the weight room. He’s added touchdown celebrations to the photo gallery, at an encouraging and desperately needed rate.

The 49ers “like” that. He’s their only player with two touchdown receptions – and counting.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on Sept. 30, 2018 in Carson, California.

“Last week was his best game, especially with the fact that we threw him at a position he hadn’t done before,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He would not have been able to do that last year. He pulled that off for us versus Los Angeles, so very appreciative and proud of him for that.”

Bourne, typically the backup to Pierre Garçon at flanker (“Z”), got thrust into the split-end role (“X”) as Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis sustained injuries in Sunday’s 29-27 loss at the Chargers.

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“I kind of proved myself knowing the plays around the playbook, not just ‘Z,’ ” Bourne said. “Also I had help from the guys around me saying: ‘You can do it. It’s not tough. Listen to the play call. And don’t flinch.’ “

Bourne could be needed again at “X,” seeing how Goodwin (quadriceps, hamstring) remains hindered by injuries. Rookie Richie James is another option. Pettis, Goodwin’s usual backup, won’t play in Sunday’s game against the winless Arizona Cardinals (0-4) because of a knee injury.
San Francisco 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne (84) celebrates his touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Such is the state of the 2018 Niners: see how younger backups are developing in place of injured starters. Season-ending knee injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon have allowed the 49ers to get a better look at C.J. Beathard and Matt Breida, who are second-year players, as is Bourne.

Goodwin said Bourne has heeded his advice, and their connection has been evident in their lightly choreographed dances to celebrate touchdowns.

“What you see is what you get with Kendrick,” Goodwin said of Bourne’s energy. “He’s receptive to those things you tell him and takes it to heart.

“He loves football and wants to get better and wants to win like anybody else. You can see how much he really enjoys being out there. A lot of other people you can’t tell. This guy is always smiling, dancing and in his groove. That’s because he’s preparing himself each week and he’s able to have fun and be himself.”

Bourne’s 6-foot-1 frame offers play-making potential, mostly untapped since he arrived last year undrafted out of Eastern Washington.

“He came here to where he had never seen a playbook before,” Shanahan added. “The system he had played in there was a lot of backyard ball for him, which is something that makes him pretty good because he can make some plays and he has a way of just adjusting to looks naturally.

“But, there was a part of his game that he had to learn that you can’t always play backyard ball and be consistent.”

Bourne studied up on the playbook. But consistency dogged him, such as knowing the playbook’s details or dropping passes in practice and exhibitions.

“He was just kind of raw and didn’t necessarily know what he was doing, per se,” quarterback C.J. Beathard recalled of the 2017 Bourne. “If you told him to get open, he would go get open and he would do it.

“But, what he’s so good at now is doing it within the timing of the route combinations and stuff like that. He’s got a lot better knowledge of the offense and he’s really becoming a good receiver.”
San Francisco 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne (84) and Dallas Cowboys’ Marquez White (39) jump up for a ball in the endzone in the third quarter of their preseason NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)

Bourne indeed has revived thoughts he can be a key contributor, especially in the red zone, where both of his touchdown catches have come from this season; he had no TDs among his 16 receptions (257 yards) as a rookie.

On Sunday’s 2-yard touchdown catch that gave the 49ers a 14-0 lead, Bourne lined up on the right side and beat man coverage off a Beathard play-action fake. “I counted on him to get open versus man on the corner,” Beathard said. “And he did, and he ended up making a good catch with tight coverage.”

Could Bourne eventually replace Garçon at the “Z” spot? Or could it be a situational platoon, seeing how Bourne has two red-zone TDs and Garçon hasn’t scored since 2016? All hands are needed to help Beathard improve Sunday to 2-5 as a starting quarterback.